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Bobby Halstead
30 Years - Robbery
25 Years - Prescription Drug Trafficking My name is Bobby. I am 31. I have two sons and a great family. I grew up in Virginia Beach VA, and moved to Florida when I was 15. My life has been a roller coaster, good and bad. I've struggled with addiction and depression for about 20 years now. I developed chronic back pain and headaches at age 23. I started taking a lot of prescription drugs, and eventually that led to heroin.
At age 26 I was in Virginia Beach hooked on heroin. I caught a possession and hit and run and did three years in prison. I swore to myself that was it. I was tired of incarceration, tired of hurting the people I loved so much. I went to a halfway house on March 6th 2007. I started laying tile. I was in good shape but my back still bothered me a lot. I started getting methadone from my boss. I was terrified of going back to heroin, back to the needle. I knew it would kill me. So I took the methadone and eventually became dependant.
I continued to work hard, but of course my addiction caused a lot of problems. I came back to Florida in October to live with my Mother and get my life together. I signed up at a methadone clinic and after a short while was up to 170 mg a day. My family was very supportive. I tried very hard to find a job but due to my record, having no license and little experience, I was turned down in everything from warehouse positions to fast food!
I became severely depressed and began to really dislike who I was. I stole medication from my parents and took them on top of the methadone, which made me hate myself even more. I started having suicidal thoughts in January 2008. My family had done all they could but I just could not get it together.
On my birthday, February 2nd, 2008 I decided to kill myself. I took my 170 mg of methadone, 15 Vicodin and 15 Adavan. I woke up in the middle of the night in a stranger's yard. I was so confused. I really just wanted the pain to be over. I went back to my family. They tried to help again. I knew I had to get off the methadone. It was making me more depressed and I was unemployed and my family could not afford it. The only way a detox would touch me was if I was off the methadone completely. The clinic took me from 170 mg to 0 in nine days which is against protocol. Mom took me to the detox facility. I made it two days. The pain was immense. I had a seizure and was taken to the hospital.
The next day I walked out of the hospital. I was completely hopeless and defeated. I decided it was time to end everything. I just could not take the pain anymore; I was ashamed and hated who and what I had become. I walked from the hospital to the first pharmacy. I robbed it with the intent of getting enough drugs to end my life. I was caught minutes afterwards in the bathroom of a grocery store taking the pills I stole. I was arrested, charged with armed robbery and trafficking.
My lawyer told me I had no chance but to plea. My "deal" was 30 years for robbery, 25 years for trafficking. I am now a year into my sentence. I am at least clearheaded and back to my old self. I have my mom, who has stood by me through everything. I have a wonderful step dad, two beautiful sons, a loving sister and a niece and nephew I love as if they were my own. My hope is to one day make up for the mistakes I have made, and to share in the joy of being with my family.
Robert Halstead 553019
Gulf CI Annex -- Q2215L
699 Ike Steele Road
Wewahitchka, FL 32465-0010Next Prisoner of the War on Drugs
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